'''Sting''' was an [[Elvish]] knife made in [[Gondolin]] in the [[First Age]]. Engraved on the blade and cross-guard are letters in Sindarin that read phonetically, ''Maegnas aen estar nin dagnir in yngyl im''. Translated into English, they read, ''Maegnas is my name, I am the spider's bane.'' According to the Appendix of [[The Silmarillion]], the element ''maeg'' in ''[[Sindarin]]'' means 'sharp' or 'piercing'.

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'''Sting''' was an [[Elvish]] knife that was probably made in [[Gondolin]] in the [[First Age]]. Its maker and original bearer are unknown.

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Sting was a magical weapon used by [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo Baggins]] in [[The Hobbit]], which he found in a [[Trolls|Troll]]-hoard along with [[Glamdring]] and [[Orcrist]]. Although it was just a dagger by the standard of [[Men]] or Elves, it made an excellent sword for a [[Hobbit]]. Bilbo gives Sting to [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo Baggins]], just before the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] sets off from [[Rivendell]]. After the defeat of Sauron at the end of the [[Third Age]], it passed to [[Samwise Gamgee]].

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==History==

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During the [[Quest of Erebor]], in [[May]] [[Third_Age_2941|2941]]<ref name="Mutton">{{H|Mutton}}</ref>, [[Thorin and Company]] happened upon a trio of nasty, hungry [[Trolls]] named [[Tom]], [[Bert]], and [[William]] who nearly ate them for supper. Only the intervention of [[Gandalf]] the Grey saved the company from such a horrible fate. <ref name="Mutton"/>

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Its proper name was ''Maegnas'', as fitting in with the heritage of the city of [[Gondolin]] where it was forged. It was renamed 'Sting', in the colloquial manner of the hobbits, by Bilbo, and was referred to by that name in [[The Lord of the Rings]].

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During the scuffle, William dropped the key to their [[Troll's Cave]], which contained all manner of treasure plundered from the trolls' victims. [[Bilbo Baggins]] recovered the key, allowing the company to claim the treasure in its entirety, including several fine [[Elves|Elvish]] blades. [[Glamdring]] went to Gandalf, while its mate [[Orcrist]] was claimed by [[Thorin|Thorin Oakenshield]]. Bilbo, too, claimed a blade: merely a dagger by the standards of [[Men]] or its original Elvish makers, and but a tiny pocket-knife for the trolls whose hoard it was found in, but it made an excellent short sword for a [[Hobbits|Hobbit]]. <ref name="Mutton"/>

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It has the magic ability to detect any [[Orcs|Orc]] presence near it. When this presence is felt, it glows blue, as it does when the Fellowship encounters Orcs in the mines of [[Moria]].

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When Bilbo was captured by [[Orcs|goblins]] while crossing the [[Misty Mountains]], the goblins failed to notice the weapon simply because Bilbo wore it inside his breeches.<ref name="Riddles">{{H|Riddles}}</ref> When Bilbo was separated from the others during their escape, this allowed him to rely on the dagger's glowing blade to light his way, as well as use it to keep a hungry [[Gollum]] at bay while he tried to find his way out of the labyrinthine tunnels in the roots of the mountains.<ref name="Riddles"/>

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[[Gollum]], who similarly dislikes anything made by Elves, is afraid of Sting. This fear helped Bilbo when confronting Gollum under the mountain in ''[[The Hobbit]]''. It also helps Frodo to tame Gollum (temporarily) in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.

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The weapon remained nameless until the company reached [[Mirkwood]] and, deep in the darkness, Bilbo and his companions were beset by the forest's [[Spider|spiders]]. Awakening to find himself half-cocooned, Bilbo used the dagger to free himself and slay his attacker, the first time he had used it in battle. The act prompted him to name the weapon with the words, "I will give you a name, and I will call you ''Sting''." <ref name="Flies">{{H|Flies}}</ref> Bilbo used the newly-christened Sting to cut the spiders' silk to free his companions, and during the ensuing battle, utilized it in combination with the [[The One Ring|magic ring]] he had found in Gollum's cave, thrown rocks, and hurled insults to help the venom-weakened dwarves fight their way out of the spiders' nest. <ref name="Flies"/>

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When Bilbo returned to [[the Shire]] in [[Third_Age_2942|2942]], he brought his little dagger with him. He displayed it above the mantleplace, where it most likely was when Gandalf and [[Balin]] visited him seven years later in [[Third_Age_2949|2949]] <ref>{{H|19}}</ref>After the [[Bilbo's Farewell Party|Farewell Party]] on [[22 September|September 22]], [[Third_Age_3001|3001]], Bilbo took Sting with him when he left [[Hobbiton]], and it resided with the aged hobbit in [[Rivendell]] for the next 17 years. In [[Third_Age_3018|3018]], just before the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] set off from Rivendell, Bilbo gave Sting to his nephew [[Frodo Baggins]], as well as his wondrous coat of [[Mithril]] mail, as a gift to protect him on the perilous journey to [[Mount Doom]] that lay ahead.

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As a consequence of his centuries of corruption under The One Ring's influence, Gollum feared weapons of Elvish make like Sting, which made the knife a factor in aiding Frodo in temporarily taming the wretched creature. It also helped Frodo and [[Samwise Gamgee]] escape from the lair of the terrible [[Shelob]] in [[Cirith Ungol]], and during the ensuing battle, even after paralyzing Frodo, the massive spider met its match in a determined Samwise Gamgee and learned how the Elvish weapon earned its name. Still armed with Sting, Sam stormed the [[Tower of Cirith Ungol]] in order to rescue Frodo, though he found little in the way of a fight, as the tower had seen a battle between its own forces over Frodo's mithril-mail coat.

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After the defeat of Sauron at the end of the [[Third Age]], when both Bilbo and Frodo sailed across the sea to the [[Undying Lands]], Sting remained with Sam. He may have taken it with him when he, at last, followed them as was his right as the last remaining [[Ring-bearers|Ring-bearer]], or it may have remained as an heirloom of the [[Gardner Family]].

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==Special Properties==

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Sting had the (apparently) magic ability to detect the presence of goblins in its vicinity. When Orcs were nearby, it glowed blue, as Bilbo noticed when alone in the dark just prior to meeting Gollum.<ref name="Riddles"/> This ability was used several times by Frodo and the Fellowship such as when the group encountered Orcs in the mines of [[Moria]] and by [[Aragorn]] upon the Fellowship's arrival at [[Parth Galen]].<ref>{{FR|Journey}}; {{FR|Breaking}}</ref>

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Sting also performed better than ordinary weapons in combat and against odd materials; it cut through the webs of giant spiders easily, whereas the [[Daggers of Westernesse|blade]] that Sam brought from the [[Barrow-downs]] failed to cut through Shelob's webs.<ref>{{H|Flies}}; {{TT|Lair}}</ref>

:Sting has a distinctive shape, with a vaguely leaf-shaped blade, round, ball-shaped pommel, featureless black hilt, and a unique guard sporting a ring in the front that the wielder's finger slips into when grasping the hilt. This version of Sting glows bright white, not blue as in the books and most other adaptations. Notably, following the Rankin/Bass adaptations' pattern of not explicitly showing violence, Sting is not shown stabbing or slashing its victims; instead, a strange fly-eye like effect is shown when Bilbo slays the giant spiders in Mirkwood, an effect that is oddly repeated when he knocks another spider off of a branch with a rock.<ref>''The Hobbit (1977 film)''</ref>

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'''[[1980]]: ''[[The Return of the King (1980 film)|The Return of the King]]'':'''

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:Sting's appearance is broadly similar to that in Rankin/Bass' earlier film, with some alterations; notably, the shape of the blade is changed from vaguely leaf-shaped to stout and straight-bladed, and the hilt is no longer a featureless black, but is now adorned with intricate designs.<ref>''The Return of the King (1980 film)''</ref>

:Sting is leaf-shaped. Upon its crossguard are engraved the [[Sindarin]] words:

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:[[File:Tengwar Sting engraved.png]]<br>

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::''Maegnas aen estar nin dagnir in yngyl im''

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:Which is translated "Maegnas is my name, I am the spider's bane" (Maegnas is [[neo-Sindarin]] for "Sting")

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Since the sword was given a name by Bilbo and the inscription mentions Bilbo's adventure, it can be supposed that the Elves engraved the letters on the ancient sword while Bilbo was in Rivendell. This is supported by a released still from [[The Hobbit (film series)|''The Hobbit'' (film series)]] where the Sting appears plain, without any writing.

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'''[[2003]]: ''[[The Hobbit (2003 video game)|The Hobbit]]'':'''

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:Unlike the book, Sting is first seen in the Dream World stage, a sort of tutorial wherein Bilbo, after fainting during the Unexpected Party, dreams he is at the Battle of Five Armies and must fight his way through a few waves of goblins before being overwhelmed by [[Bolg]] and his guard, startling awake, and continuing the story.<ref>''The Hobbit (2003 video game)'', "Dream World"</ref> After Bilbo awakens, Sting is not seen again until the end of the Troll-Hole stage, which takes place after the encounter with Tom, Bill, and Bert like in the book. Unlike in the book, where Bilbo does not name Sting until he is in [[Mirkwood]], he gives it a name almost immediately.<ref>''The Hobbit (2003 video game)'', "Troll-hole"</ref>

During the scuffle, William dropped the key to their Troll's Cave, which contained all manner of treasure plundered from the trolls' victims. Bilbo Baggins recovered the key, allowing the company to claim the treasure in its entirety, including several fine Elvish blades. Glamdring went to Gandalf, while its mate Orcrist was claimed by Thorin Oakenshield. Bilbo, too, claimed a blade: merely a dagger by the standards of Men or its original Elvish makers, and but a tiny pocket-knife for the trolls whose hoard it was found in, but it made an excellent short sword for a Hobbit. [1]

When Bilbo was captured by goblins while crossing the Misty Mountains, the goblins failed to notice the weapon simply because Bilbo wore it inside his breeches.[2] When Bilbo was separated from the others during their escape, this allowed him to rely on the dagger's glowing blade to light his way, as well as use it to keep a hungry Gollum at bay while he tried to find his way out of the labyrinthine tunnels in the roots of the mountains.[2]

The weapon remained nameless until the company reached Mirkwood and, deep in the darkness, Bilbo and his companions were beset by the forest's spiders. Awakening to find himself half-cocooned, Bilbo used the dagger to free himself and slay his attacker, the first time he had used it in battle. The act prompted him to name the weapon with the words, "I will give you a name, and I will call you Sting." [3] Bilbo used the newly-christened Sting to cut the spiders' silk to free his companions, and during the ensuing battle, utilized it in combination with the magic ring he had found in Gollum's cave, thrown rocks, and hurled insults to help the venom-weakened dwarves fight their way out of the spiders' nest. [3]

As a consequence of his centuries of corruption under The One Ring's influence, Gollum feared weapons of Elvish make like Sting, which made the knife a factor in aiding Frodo in temporarily taming the wretched creature. It also helped Frodo and Samwise Gamgee escape from the lair of the terrible Shelob in Cirith Ungol, and during the ensuing battle, even after paralyzing Frodo, the massive spider met its match in a determined Samwise Gamgee and learned how the Elvish weapon earned its name. Still armed with Sting, Sam stormed the Tower of Cirith Ungol in order to rescue Frodo, though he found little in the way of a fight, as the tower had seen a battle between its own forces over Frodo's mithril-mail coat.

After the defeat of Sauron at the end of the Third Age, when both Bilbo and Frodo sailed across the sea to the Undying Lands, Sting remained with Sam. He may have taken it with him when he, at last, followed them as was his right as the last remaining Ring-bearer, or it may have remained as an heirloom of the Gardner Family.

Special Properties

Sting had the (apparently) magic ability to detect the presence of goblins in its vicinity. When Orcs were nearby, it glowed blue, as Bilbo noticed when alone in the dark just prior to meeting Gollum.[2] This ability was used several times by Frodo and the Fellowship such as when the group encountered Orcs in the mines of Moria and by Aragorn upon the Fellowship's arrival at Parth Galen.[5]

Sting also performed better than ordinary weapons in combat and against odd materials; it cut through the webs of giant spiders easily, whereas the blade that Sam brought from the Barrow-downs failed to cut through Shelob's webs.[6]

Portrayal in adaptions

Sting has a distinctive shape, with a vaguely leaf-shaped blade, round, ball-shaped pommel, featureless black hilt, and a unique guard sporting a ring in the front that the wielder's finger slips into when grasping the hilt. This version of Sting glows bright white, not blue as in the books and most other adaptations. Notably, following the Rankin/Bass adaptations' pattern of not explicitly showing violence, Sting is not shown stabbing or slashing its victims; instead, a strange fly-eye like effect is shown when Bilbo slays the giant spiders in Mirkwood, an effect that is oddly repeated when he knocks another spider off of a branch with a rock.[7]

Sting's appearance is broadly similar to that in Rankin/Bass' earlier film, with some alterations; notably, the shape of the blade is changed from vaguely leaf-shaped to stout and straight-bladed, and the hilt is no longer a featureless black, but is now adorned with intricate designs.[8]

Sting is leaf-shaped. Upon its crossguard are engraved the Sindarin words:

Maegnas aen estar nin dagnir in yngyl im

Which is translated "Maegnas is my name, I am the spider's bane" (Maegnas is neo-Sindarin for "Sting")

Since the sword was given a name by Bilbo and the inscription mentions Bilbo's adventure, it can be supposed that the Elves engraved the letters on the ancient sword while Bilbo was in Rivendell. This is supported by a released still from The Hobbit (film series) where the Sting appears plain, without any writing.

Unlike the book, Sting is first seen in the Dream World stage, a sort of tutorial wherein Bilbo, after fainting during the Unexpected Party, dreams he is at the Battle of Five Armies and must fight his way through a few waves of goblins before being overwhelmed by Bolg and his guard, startling awake, and continuing the story.[9] After Bilbo awakens, Sting is not seen again until the end of the Troll-Hole stage, which takes place after the encounter with Tom, Bill, and Bert like in the book. Unlike in the book, where Bilbo does not name Sting until he is in Mirkwood, he gives it a name almost immediately.[10]